Getting my first real Handgun

If you recall, the title to Mosin's thread is
Getting my first real Handgun
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Even though it's in the revolver section doesn't mean he's not going to wind up with a 1911 one day.
Especially a fellow who cherishes the older classic designs like Mosin does.
Just thinking ahead.
Besides, why discourage him from using that old classic, once it's determined to be safe?
If it were mine, it would for sure be going to the range.
Couldn't help myself.
 
Not discouraging him from USING it, just from trying to LEARN with it.

When you have a specific goal in mind in anything, it's foolish to deliberately choose the most difficult methods of arriving at that goal.

You select the best path with the best chances (and tools) of arriving where you want to be.

If you want to learn golfing, you don't start out with a baseball bat.
Bats & clubs are both devices that CAN whack balls around, but which one is better suited to learning how to repeatedly put a small object into a small hole at a great distance?
Denis
 
Mo,
Practically new indicates it's a great collectable vintage Smith.
For that reason alone, it's worth owning, even shooting on occasion.
Added to which the family heritage.

Understand I'm not belittling the gun as a POSSESSION in any way, just saying it's a poor LEARNING tool.

I'd be delighted to have such an inheritance.
Denis
 
Would one of those rough riders in .22 LR be good? I don't need a double action now. The long barrel would be nice for target shooting, and it wouldn't burn through ammo since it's a SA. They're fairly cheap too.
 
I could afford more, most likely. Will do searching.
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Howdy Again

I have handled those Rough Rider pistols. In my not so humble opinion they are crap.

There is an old saying. 'you get what you pay for'. If you could afford more, why not get the best?

I paid $125 for this S&W Model 17-3 back in 1975, which was a heck of a lot of money for a kid in his twenties back then. I have never for one minute regretted spending all that money on the best 22 revolver on the market.

Model_17-3_zps30d7772c.jpg


Smith and Wesson still lists the Model 17 under their Classic Revolvers line, for $989. No, I am not suggesting you pay that much, there are lots of used ones on the market.




You could also hunt for a classic K-22, the predecessor of the Model 17, the top gun in this photo. Or the modern equivalent, the Model 617 at the bottom of this photo. I bought that 617 used a few years ago. Sorry, I don't remember what I paid, but I can look it up.

k22m1761702_zps46185241.jpg




Remember, You get what you pay for.


P.S. Don't look askance at Double Action. You can always shoot them Single Action if you don't want to burn up as much ammo.
 
If it is safe, shoot it. Why not? It won't have enough recoil to make you flinch, that's for sure. If you aren't very accurate with it, so what? You can still enjoy shooting it until you get something better. I learned to shoot handguns with a piece of junk bb pistol that even my dad and grandpa couldn't hit squat with. Apparently it didn't ruin me, since I am a pretty fair shot 40 years later.
 
Some guns are mean to be taken to the range and have dozens of rounds shot through them on a regular basis, and as a learning tool with which to sharpen your skills. If you wear them out, or break them, they can be replaced.

Some guns have great historical and collector value as well as sentimental value as a family heirloom, and are better viewed in a glass case, only to be taken out on special occasions and have a few rounds fired through them so as to preserve their condition. You cannot replace them.

I'd love to have such a piece, but would not use it as a regular shooter.


You certainly don't have to save up for a S&W either. They are at the top of the price chain. There are lots of less expensive options that still have some decent functional quality. Rugers are less costly than Smiths, but you can also go with Taurus or Rossi, or some of the other revolvers. When I started shooting revolvers I couldn't afford to be a snob!

My friend has had two of the Heritage .22s. The first one he liked, but it had fixed sights so he traded it back in for one with adjustable sights. I shot it. It wasn't a Ruger Single Six, but It shot fine for me.

Used guns have great resale value so if you get something you don't like, you can easily upgrade later.
 
ive got a rough rider. its a pretty solid gun, but i cant hit the side of a barn with it. the finish is ehhh, and the safety they put on them is ugly IMO. more often then not, i find that it stays in the safe when i head to the range.

the model 10 is a GREAT first handgun. it was actually MY first centerfire handgun. i think buds has police trade ins right now for around 300 bucks. really cant go wrong there. mine was a police trade in, and while the finish and grips were beat, mechanically its almost like its never been shot. barely a turn line on it.

something like a GP100 or a 686 would serve you well too, just costs a bit more.
 
i think buds has police trade ins right now for around 300 bucks.
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The time to buy is now. Bud's just ran out of the round-butt 10s. Only the square K-frames are left. I wouldn't be surprised if the imports from Australia are about to end.
 
You certainly don't have to save up for a S&W either. They are at the top of the price chain. There are lots of less expensive options that still have some decent functional quality. Rugers are less costly than Smiths, but you can also go with Taurus or Rossi, or some of the other revolvers. When I started shooting revolvers I couldn't afford to be a snob!
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I can only assume you are referring to me when you talk about somebody being a snob.

The OP stated 'I could afford more, most likely. Will do searching.'

I suggested if he is willing to spend more, why not buy the best.

I paid $125 for my 17-3 in 1975. Yes, that was a lot of money for a kid in his twenties back then, but that is what I wanted. I saved up and paid cash on the barrel head for it. You pays your money, you takes your choice. By the way, $125 in 1975 translates to about $553.71 today according to the inflation calculator I used. Just for comparison, I paid $600 for that used Stainless Model 617 at the bottom of the previous photo a few years ago. It was made in 2003. By an amazing coincidence I also paid $600 for that vintage K-22 at the top of the photo. It was made in 1932. You can't see from the photo, but it has a lot of wear to the blue on the other side, and the grips are not the correct grips for a gun of that age. But it shoots as well today as it did the day it left the factory. No, you are not going to find a gun like that every day, I had been looking for an old K-22 for a real long time when I found that one. You gotta turn over a lot of rocks if you want to find something good.

My point is, why settle when with some work you might be able to find the best at a reasonable price.
 
You don't need to be spending close to a grand for a Smith & Wesson .22 revolver (although they ARE a class act).

Instead, look around for either a gently used Ruger Single Six or Bearcat. Both are single action only and a lot of fun to shoot as well as to learn with.

Decent used Single Sixes can be found in the $250-300 range, and Bearcats can be found for less than $500.00 new, with used ones being less.

The S&W you describe is a collectible and will only increase in value over the years; Keep it as a family heirloom.

Meanwhile, check some of your LGS and look for a nice used Ruger. I bought my first Ruger firearm exactly 50 years ago and it is still going strong.
 
The snob thing is grossly misunderstood & misused.

I've been shooting personally & professionally for 45 years.
I started out with cheaper guns.
I've owned cheaper guns.
I've shot cheaper guns.
I've wasted a lotta money on cheaper guns that didn't offer the same levels of performance or endurance that paying more money up front got me with better quality guns.
I've watched buddies buy cheap & wear cheap out quick.

Today I know generally what I can expect from certain brands & certain price levels.

I simply will no longer gamble on a lower-level gun to "save money" because "I got a buddy who says his has been OK, not great, but OK" or "Brand X is almost as good at $100 cheaper".

If all you can afford is a Heritage, then get a Heritage.
I'll cheerfully stick to owning & advising a Ruger Single-Six because mine has held up since 1976 & is still going strong.

I'll stick to a Ruger or Smith DA revolver & recommend same because I have samples of both that are doing equally well at 30 & 40 years of age, and have never given me a problem.

I'll stick to Colt single-actions because they're just flat made to better & more consistent standards than Italian repros.

I'll stick to certain specific auto-pistols because I know what I can expect from them, and those do not include fringe guns by fringe makers or bottom of the barrel products whose only real selling point is that they're cheap.

And so on.

That is not gun snobbery.
I want products that work, I can afford them, and that's what I'll buy.

In Mo's case, I won't recommend anything just because it's cheap.
He does have limited funds at his age, but he can still shop wisely with what he has available.

I also refuse to tell him that a particular gun is "just fine" to learn handgun shooting with when I know damn well it's not.
I used to teach cops to shoot.
It's hard enough going from Ground Zero with a good tool, I won't encourage anybody to try to learn with a grossly inferior one.
Denis
 
It's a neat old revolver. If it was my grandpa's gun handed down to me I would cherish it and keep it to pass on to my grandkids, even if it's not worth much and ain't a real shooter. As for taking the shotgun instead....It would depend on the shotgun.

Mo, you're young, you got your whole life ahead of you to buy revolvers. I agree with DPris on this, going cheap is not always the best in the long run. That said, I know of many folks that are happy with their Heritage .22s. If you can find some ammo, and are sure Grandpa's gun is safe to shoot, give it a try. Don't expect much, but take pride in knowing your Grampa's hand once held it and his finger once pulled the trigger. In your hands, a part of him will always be with that gun.
 
Howdy Again

I most heartily agree that if the OP does not want to go the expense of a S&W, a Ruger Single Six is hard to beat as a first 22 revolver. A much better piece of equipment than the Rough Rider. Treated well it will last a lifetime or two. These days Ruger is making them with nine and ten shot cylinders, but I have always been happy with a six shooter. Modern ones come with fixed sights or adjustable.



Dunno what the current price is on used Single Sixes, I found this Three Screw a couple of years ago. Made in 1963. Complete with the box, Mag cylinder, and some old ammo. $450 out the door. Shoots as good as the day it left the factory.

singlesixwmr03_zps3ef30284.jpg



Not so much the Bearcat, it is a tiny little revolver. nice to stick in your pocket or tacklebox, but I prefer a full sized revolver.
 
Dunno what the current price is on used Single Sixes, I found this Three Screw a couple of years ago. Made in 1963. Complete with the box, Mag cylinder, and some old ammo. $450 out the door. Shoots as good as the day it left the factory.
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My LPS has a couple of Single Six for around $250.00 in very nice condition. They also have an unfired, unturned 50th Anniversary for $450.00. As I stated before, Single Six are an excellent investment and will last through the lives of your grandchildren.
 
I can only assume you are referring to me when you talk about somebody being a snob.
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Absolutely not. The comment was in jest. It was not aimed at anyone. I don't know anything about you for which I would direct any such comment. I am sorry I gave you that impression.

We all know a guy somewhere, usually an older guy, who swears by S&W and anything else is beneath him. Most of us have a little chuckle when we think of that guy. There is also the Chevy/Ford guy we all know of the same mentality.

It was not meant to offend anybody, and was typed with an old man, long passed, in my mind, and smile on my face.
 
Not knowing how much money you have makes it hard to recommend which one to get.

Sure, if you have $1000.00 go out and buy a S&W Model 17 like Driftwood Johnson recommends, or if you have $190.00 you can get a new Heritage Rough Rider with a 22LR cylinder, and a 22MAG cylinder.

Of course there is night and day difference between the two, but what have you got to spend?

There are a lot of nice used Smith and Wesson's, or Ruger's out there for sale in between those prices, you just have to search them out.

I have a lot of high end Smith and Wesson's, and Colts, but I also have a Heritage Rough Rider convertible SA revolver, it works for me for what I bought it for, which is casual plinking.
 
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